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In this episode, I am joined by Marek Zmyslowski, author of the book, Chasing Black Unicorns: How Building the Amazon of Africa Put Me on Interpol’s Most Wanted List (2019). Marek is a Polish-born entrepreneur and executive, focused on online businesses in frontier and emerging markets. He co-founded Jumia Travel – Africa’s Biggest Hotel Booking Portal listed on NYSE as part of Jumia Group and HotelOnline.co – a Travel Technology Company. In 2014, he was chosen as one of the Ten Most Important People in Tech by IT News Africa Magazine. He is a Lead Mentor at Google’s Launchpad and the World Bank’s XL Africa Program.

In 2012, Marek found himself in Africa — initially to start a venture for Rocket Internet. We discuss his experience in various start-up ventures on the African continent since those early days. Marek writes that his goal in life is to leave the world in slightly better shape than it was when he arrived. He now lives in Cape Town, South Africa. You can connect with Marek on his personal website or on the website for his book.

Charles G. Chandler, Ph.D.

Reference:

Zmyslowski, Marek. 2019. Chasing Black Unicorns: How Building the Amazon of Africa Put Me on Interpol’s Most Wanted List. Warsaw, Poland: Agora Publishing House.